Universal coupling



"u, 22, 1931. P, FENMLLE 1837,8 56

UNIVERSAL COUPLING Filed C?, 25, 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 erre'fencxhh, INYENTQR,

BY MK ttornay.

E L v A N E F R UNIVERSAL COUPLING 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 4Filed Oct. 25. 1930 Herve FenaLUe IN ENTOR.

By lk *ein Attognoy.

F'. FENAILLE UNIVERSAL COUILING Filed oc' 25, 19:50

4 Sheets-Sheety 3 F'Leyre Fen n.1 E

[N v E; NTom By i M ttorney 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Oct. 25, 1930 FLerye Fename INVENTOR;

*ela Attarnn'.

- Patented Dee. `2.2, 1931 PATENT ori-ICE PIERRE FENAILLE, or ramsrmon UNIVERSAL ooUPLING Application le'd October 25, 1930, Serial No. 491,142, and in France December 6, 1929.

The invention relates to universal couplings having two Cardan joints whereby the angular'speed of the driven shaft is constantly equal to the angular speed of the driving shaft, at any instant. In the universal couplings of this type, both the driving and Adriven shafts-are respectively adapted to pivot about two parallel axes, termed primary axes on parts which in turn are pivoted to each other about an axis termed intermediate axis, and, in order to constantly obtain equal angular speeds of the shafts, said intermediate axis is kept in the plane bisect- -ing the angle formed between the driving shaft and the driven shaft, at right angles vylitlfi the-plane containing the axes of both s a ts.

In the known devices of this type, the pri-` mary axes are located on either side of said bisecting plane. Such an arrangement. involves constructional dilliculties and is. further objectionable in that the length or longitudinal bulk of the joint is excessive, it being increased by the sum of the distances from said primary axes to said bisecting plane.

JIhe present invention has for its object to provide a universal joint with double Cardan joint, which will be of compact construction and reduced bulk. According to an important feature of the invention, the arrangement is such that the parallel primary axes about which the driving and driven shaftsare respectively adapted to pivot are locatedin th'e bisecting plane ofthe angle formed by said shafts and are equidistant from the virtual intersecting point of the longitudinal axes of saidshafts.

According to one embodiment ofthe 1nvention, the `universal coupling comprises 40 two fork piecesor the like, having tail p ortions coaxial'ly arrangedv on an axispassing through the Ipoint of intersection of theshaft yaxes and capable of mutual relativel longitudinal and rotary motions, each shaft bei-ng rotatably.. connected -with 'acorresponding fork piece about a primary axis crossing the axis of rotation of saidtail portions, said primary axes being equidistant from said point of intersection.

According to another embodiment of the 5o invention, the universal coupling comprises two sectors slidablealong and rotatable about an intermediate axis passing, through the point 'of intersection of the shaft axes, and over which end pieces carried by the shafts' 55 are caused to slide in a circular path about primary axes, crossing saidintermediate axis, and equidistant from. saidpoint of in'-A tersection, said sectors being pressed against the end pieces of said shaft-s by means of a spring or any other suitable means.

In the accompanying drawings, which are given solely by way of illustration:

Fig. 1 is an elevation view of a joint according to one embodiment of the invention,

the driving and driven shafts being coaxial. Fig. 2 is a sectional view on the line 2--2 Aof Fig. 1,

Fig. 8 is a sectional view on line 3 3 of Fig. 2, the shaftsforming an angle Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section of a univer-salr coupling as mounted 'on a motor vehicle for transmitting powerto forward driving wheels. l j i Fig. 5 is a sectional view of a modification 75 of the invention. 'j

Fig. 6 is a sectional view on line 6 6 of w Fig. 5. Y

Figs. 7 and 8, which correspond. respectively vto Figs. 3 and 4, illustrate also a modification of the invention.

In the example shown in Figs. 1 to 3, 1 i is a driving shaft having anfend piece 8 in the shape of a s ecto'r'oifset withrespect to g5 theV shaft axis. Both faces. of sector 8 are .engaged by a fork "member 7, having. seccircular tongues 9. formed onfbothfaces of 90 sector 8. `The centre of the circular tongues and grooves is on an axis A.

In the same manner, shaft '2 carries a sector-shaped end-piece 8'* provided on both faces with circular tongues 98L slidable in respective circular grooves 1()a formed on the inner faces of another fork-member 7 having sector-shaped branches. The centre of the tongues 9a and grooves 10a is located on the primary axis B.

The fork members 7 and 7a are provided i with coaxial tail-portions 11 and 11, tailportion 11 forming a pin rotatably and slidably mounted in the other tail-piece 11, in the shape of a sleeve. The common axis C of both tail-pieces, which is at right angles with the primary axes A and B, constitutes the intermediate axis of theA double universal coupling.

As hereinafter explained, the axes of shafts 1 and 2 are caused to meet together at a point O of axis C.

Due to the shape of members 8 and 8, the primary axes A and B are at the same distance d (Figs. 8 and 4) from the said point O.

In order to permit angular movement of suiicient amplitude between sector 8 and fork 7, sleeve 11 is cut out between the branches of fork 7 as shown at 2O and 21, in order to leave only a circular solid central .part on which the inner edge of sector 8 will ride in the rotation thereof relatively to fork 7.

'In order that the axes of shafts 1 and 2 should meet at a point O of axis C, which should remain stationary, although one or both of the shafts may be free to swing with respect to the other, provision may be made, for example, of the arrangement shown in Figure 4, which illustrates an embodiment of the invention for the transmission of power to front driving wheels of a motor vehicle. In this example, my improved universal joint serves to connect the driving shaft 1 to the driven shaft 2 on which is fastened the hub' of the wheel. Shaft 2 is carried'by the steering swivel- 4, and is locked axially therein. Said swivel which may swing about a vertical axis has a spherical recess 5 in which is rotatable a spherical shell 6 secured to shaft 1.

y Due to this kind of ball and socket connection,

the intersecting point O of axes 1 and 2 is constantly maintained at the centre of spherical recess 5. .Y

It will be apparent that each shaft may assume any! angular position since it is ro- A tatable about two perpendicular axes. Further, both shafts 1 and 2 will always rotate at equal angular speeds, as hereunder explained: su pose that shaft 2 has a fixed direction igs. 3 and 4) and that shaft 1 undergoes an angular motion of an amplitude a: about point O; all points bound to shaft 1 will describe circular arcs about point O, said arcs having the same angle w. Primary axis A will come to A. Axis B, bound to sector 8a and shaft 2 will not move. Intermediate axis C, which is at right angles with and in the same plane as axes A and B, will come to C. Both axes A and B being at the same distance l from the centre, angle ABA( (Figs. 3 and 4) will be equal to one half angle ACA that is Except for the slight displacement CO', which is negligible, intermediate axis C will thus remain in the plane bisecting angle W-w formed by the two shafts 1 and 2. This is the necessary and suflicient condition required to insure constant evenness of the angular speeds of both shafts 1 and 2.

It will be observed that distance A B (Figs. 3 and4) is smaller than AB, that is AB decreases as and when angle :r increases. This is permitted by the sliding connection of pin 111I with sleeve 11. A spring may be interposed between said pin and said sleeve for moving apart the two fork-members 7, 7 a when angle m decreases, in order to relieve the parts from excessive stresses, namely the tongues 9 and 9 and grooves 10 and 10a.

Figs. 5 to 8 illustrate a modified form of the As in the embodiment above described,l

shaft 1 is rotatable about a primary axis A, represented by the axis of the cylindrical surface 7 of a sector member 7. Member 7 ts ina recess of the same shape formed in a semi-spherical member 8 rigid with shaft 1, in a plane including the axis of said shaft. Member 8 is adapted to slide over sector 7, thus rotating about, axis A, the cylindrical face of sector 7 and the cylindrical end face of the recess in member 8 being.. constantly held in contact as explained hereunder.

In a similar manner, shaft 2 carries a semispherical member 8al adapted to slide over a -sector member 7 housed in a recess of memsaid pin C and held between sectors 7 and 7*, presses the latter against the bottom of the recesses in members 8 and 8a.- Pi C, which is common to sectors 7 and 78L vand at right angles with primary axes A and B, constitutes the intermediate axis of-:the double universal coupling.

' The operation of this mechanism is identi cal with that already described.

Such device is of extremely simple conv struction, since it consists only of a pivot pin C, of two sets of identical members 7-7 and 8-8, and of a spring 12.

Of course, the invention is in no way limited to the embodiments herein illustrated and vdescribed which are only selected yfor the sake of illustration.

Having now described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: t

1. In a universal joint, two rotary members, means for causing the axes of said members to meet at a fixed point, joint means pivoted to said rotary members about two dis# tinct axes meeting a straight line passing substantially through said fixed point and bisecting the angle formed by the axes of said rotary members,isaid distinct axes being at right angles with said straight line and. equally spaced from said xed point.

2. In a universal joint, two rotary members, joint means pivoted to said rotary members about two parallel axes, and means for holding the parts in such relation that a line perpendicular to said axes passes substantially through the-point of intersection of the axes of said rotary members and bisects the angle formed thereby, said parallel axes beg equally spaced from saidpoint of lntersection.

3. In a universal coupling, two rotary members, two lcoaxial joint members, a telescopic connection between the latter, pivotal connections between said joint and rotary members, whereby the latter are adapted to rotate on the former about pivot axes at right angles with the common axis of sa1d jolnt members, and means whereby said latter axis is caused to pass substantially through the point of intersection of the axes of said r0- tary members and to bisect the angle formed by the latter, said pivot axes being equally spaced from said point of intersection.

4:. In a universal coupling, two rotary members, two coaxial joint members, a rotary and telescopic connection between the latter, pivotal connections between said joint and rotary members whereby the latter are adapted to rotate on the former about p ivot axes at right angles with the common axis of said joint members, and means whereby said latter axis is caused to pass substantially through the point of intersection of the axes of said rotary members and to bisect the angle formed by the latter, said pivot axes being equally spaced from said point of intersection. v

5. In a universal coupling, two rotary members, twocoaxial joint members, a telescopic connection between the latter, pivotal connections between said joint and rotary members, whereby the latter are adapted to rotate on the former about pivot axes at right angles with the common axis of said joint members, a spherical housing locked axially 6. In a universal coupling, two rotaryI members, two/'joint members, a rotary and telescopic connection between the latter, a connection between said rotary members and the respective joint members, embodying mating forks and sectors for causing relative rotations about pivot axes at right angles with the common axis of said joint members, and means whereby said latter axis is caused to pass substantially through the point of intersection of the axes of said rotary members and to bisect the angle formed by the latter, said pivot axes being equally spaced from said point of intersection.

7. A universal coupling as claimed in claim 6, wherein one joint member has a trunnion adapted to slidably and rotatably engage a sleeve formed on the'other joint member.

8. A universal coupling as claimed in claim 6, wherein said connection between said rotary-member and the respective joint member further comprises a circular tongue, en-

gaging a circular groove, said tongues and grooves being formed on adjacent faces of said forks and sectors.

9. .A universal coupling comprising in combination a spherical housing, two sub` stantially semi-spherical rotary members, means for locking said rotary members radially with respect to said housing, sector shaped members engaging semi-cylindrical recesses in said rotary members, means` for slidably and rotatably connecting said sector members on an axis passing through the centre of said housing, and resilient means for urging said sector members outwardly inv said recesses.

10. A universal joint as claimed'in claim 9, wherein said connecting means consist of a pivot pin engaging aligned bores-in said sector members, said resilient means consisting of a spring coiled around said pin and earing at its ends against said sector memers.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

` PIERRE FENAILLE.. 

